Wire-stretcher



A. FAIST. WIRE STRETCHER. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 7'1 1920.

1,367,129. Patented Feb. 1, 1921.

'2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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WIRE STRETCHER. APPLICATION man FEB. 7/1920.

1,367,129, I Patented Feb. 1,1921.

2 SHEETS--SHEET 2- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ANDREW FAIS'I', or SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR or THREE-FOIIRTHBI T0 LOUISE enrnenn, or SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

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Application filed February 7, 1920.

fication, reference being had to the accomvide a wire stretcher which iscapable of stretching wire, either. from the right to the left, or fromleft to right.

Another object of the invention consists in the provision of a clamp,and an intermittently operative mechanism swiveled thereto, wherebypost, in case the post should happen to twistwhen stretching the wire,and furthermore, by the: provision of the swivel connection, thestretching machine may be kept in alinement with the wire, so that thewire may at all times travel straight into the machine.

A further object of the invention is to provide a machine of this kind,so used for stretching wires, as to permit the wire to be nailed orotherwise fastened to the same post, from, which the wire is stretched,thereby saving much labor and inconvenience, by doing away with havingto brace two posts. I a

A still further object of the invention. resides in the provision of astretcher that willprevent the twist orturn of the post, before thestretcher is detached from the post,thereby leavingthe wire stretchedthe same as whenthe-machine stretched it.

The invention still further aims to, provide a stretcher which iscapable of stretching the wireunder all conditions, such as inside ofsharp fence. corners, in brushor among trees, asthe cperating. lover ofthe Specification of Letters Patent.

as the wire is being stretched, it may be turned back toward thePatented Feb. 1, 1921.

Serial No. 356,835.

machine can be manipulated in either a vertical or horizontal position,or any degree between such positions.

The invention additionally aims to provide a stretcher which can beeasily and very quickly attached to a post, and will complete stretchingthe wire up to the corners and ends of the fence.

. While the design and construction at present illustrated and set forthis deemed preferable, it is obvious that as a result of a reduction ofthe invention to a more practical form for commercial purposes, theinvention may be susceptible to changes, and

the right to these changes is claimed, provided they are comprehendedwithin the scope of what is claimed.

The inventioncomprises further features and combination of parts, aswill be hereinafter set forth, shown in the drawings and claimed.

In the drawings A Figure 1 is a view in elevation of a portion of a wirefence, showing the wire stretcher as applied to one of the posts of thefence for stretching one of the fence wires,

Fig. is a plan View of one of the fence posts on an enlarged scale,showing the wire stretcher applied,

. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view on line 1 Fig. 4. is a verticalsectional view on line 44 of Fig. l,

Fig. 5 is a sectional view on line 5--5 of Fig. 3, I i

Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail perspective view of theclamping bar 2, andshowing the clamping claw, H

Fig. 7 is a detail perspective view of the frame 9, and showing thedetent spring 37, and also the detent releasingdevice,

Fig. 8 is a detail perspective view of the detent releasing crankelement 40, and;

of a single piece of metal bent upon itself to form a rectangular loop5, which receives the bar 2 of the clamp l. The opposing parts of theclamp 4 are riveted together as indicated at 6, and the end portions ofthe opposing parts terminate in claws 7, adapted to bear into the fencepost and cooperate with the opposing plate 3, to hold the clamp securelyand firmly to the post. A set screw 8 is threaded into the loop of theclamp 4 to hold the clamp in different adjusted positions on the bar 2.

A U-shaped frame 9 is swivelly connected to the plate 3 by means of theheaded pin '10, the head of which is counter-sunk in one the shaft 13,and is counter-sunk in the outer face of one of the sides of the frame 9(which is U-shaped) to prevent the shaft from rotating, whereas thewheel is rotatable upon the shaft. A cotter pin 18 passes transverselythrough the opposite end of the shaft 1 3 to cooperate with the dowelpin to prevent axial movement of the shaft. The ends of the sides of theframe 9" are bifurcatedas shown at 19, and are provided with forks 20caused to be formed by the bifurcations. Removably engaging between theforks are anti-frictional rollers or sleeves 21, which constitutebearings for the shaft 22. Feathered or splined to the shaft 22 as at 23is a wheel 24, which comprises three sections 25, 26 and 27, which arefastened together by the transverse pins 28. The section 25 of the Wheelis provided with ratchet teeth 29, and the section 26 is smaller indiameter than the section 27, and is provided with gear teeth 30. Thesection 27 is also provided with gear teeth 31, which are adapted tomesh with the gear teeth 16 of the wheel 14, when the wheel- 24 is movedtoward the wheel 14. Pivoted' upon one of the sleeves 21 to moverelativelythereto and positioned adjacent the sideof the wheel 24 isthe'flat end 32 of the lever 33. Mounted on one face of the lever 331s adog 35, adapted to engage the ratchet teeth 29 of the section 25 of thewheel 24,]so as to impart an intermittent movement to the wheel.

A spring detent 37 has the terminal of the curved. portion counter-sunkin and secured to one endoff the frame 9. The spring detent extends ina'direction with the frame 9 and terminatesin a lug 38, which is designedto cooperate with the ratchet teeth of the section 25 of the wheel 24,to prevent retrograde movement of the wheel, as it is intermittentlymoved by the manipulation of the lever. An arm 39 is fastened rigidly toone side of the frame 9, and mounted in a hearing of said arm is a crankelement 40. This crank element has a projection 41, which is adapted tocam against the spring defeat, in order to disengage the lug of thespring detent from engagement with the ratchet teeth of the wheel 24.

In the operation of the machine, it is first mounted upon the fence postand secured rigidly in position by means of the clamp 1, although theframe 9 is capable of swivel movement. The usual fence wire reel isarranged as shown in Fig. 1, with the fence wire, which may be barbed orplain, passed upwardly over the wheel 14, and down wardly between thewheel 14 and the teeth 30 of the wheel 24, and then over the gear teeth30 between the ratchet teeth and the gear teeth 31, and then adjacentthe fence post, and to the other fence post, as shown. In order tostretch the fence wire, the lever is moved in the direction of the arrow(1. which will impart an intermittent motion to the wheel 24, stretchingthe fence wire.

Each movement of the wheel 24 will tension the fence wire, and by meansof the spring detent, the wheel 24 is prevented from retrogrademovement. Should the wire be stretched to an excess and it is desired torelease the tension of the wire, the detent may be disengaged from thewheel or ratchet 21', and then by grasping the lever 33 and hold ing thesame while it moves backward, the wire may be allowed to slacken. lVhenthe wire is slackened enough, the detent will he allowed to again engagethe ratchet to hold the same. The spring tensioned dog coinprises a rod35 mounted in guide eyes 36" and 37 which are carried by one side of thelever 33. A coiled spring 38 is in surrounding relation to the rod ordog 35 and is interposed between the guide eye 36 and a cotter pin 39which is arranged transversely of the rod 35. The cotter pin is spacedslightly from the eye 37 so that the spring 38 may tension the rod tohold its end 40 in en gagement with the teeth of the ratchet. The endsof the rod opposite its end 40 terminates in ahook 4 which may beengaged by the finger of the operator, in order to disengage its end 40"from the teeth of the ratchet.

After the wire has been stretched, it is not released until it isfastened to the fence post, and it is the aim to fasten the fence wireto the same post from which the wire is stretched, thereby saving muchlabor and inconvenience.

In order to additionally fasten the clamp 1 to the fence post, a shortnail or staple may be driven through any one of the several openingsiorholes? in the plate 3, and then into the fence'post, asindicated at42.

I The wire stretcher maybe connected to the fence post so that thefencewire may be nailed or fastened to the very topof the post,

if desired. Also the wire maybefastened to theextreme lower: portion ofthe post. This maybe accomplished by excavating the ground around thepost, so as to countersink thestretcher, sothat the fence wires may bestretched immediately from aclose position to the ground and disposedclose together, in order to prevent the passage of hogs, rabbits and thelike. The stretcher can be easily removed from the post, by pullingoutwardlyupon the bar 2, that is after the clamp 4 has been disengagedfrom the post, thereby causing the plate 3 to extract the nail.

Furthermore, the stretcher will not injure thefence wire, whenstretching the same, which is very often the case with all. otherstretchers, due to the wire passing around a wheel and causing friction.The present form of wire stretcher may be used for other purposes, suchas pulling automobiles back into the roadway at rough places,

and for pulling stumps, posts and trees, or

large bushes. When pulling automobiles back into the roadway, thestretcher may be attached to a stationary object, and after which aheavy cable or chain or the like may be attached to the automobile andpassed over the stretcher in the same manner.as the wire to be stretchedis arranged,

after which the usual intermittent motion is imparted to the wheel 24.This device can be used also for pulling bushes and hoistingcommodities. When pulling bushes or hoisting commodities, the device maybe mounted or connected to a pair of vertically arranged spaced stakes,and the cable or chain is then passed downwardly and around the bush andby manipulating the lever, it may be extracted from the soil.

In order to direct the wire back toward the fence post, should the fencepost he come twisted, due to the strain of the wire, the U-shaped framemay be moved swivelly, by applying pressure laterally upon the lever ina direction of the fence post. Owing to the swivel connection with theU-shaped frame, it is possible to keep the fence wire at all times inalinement with thefeed wheels.

The invention having been set forth, what is claimed as new and usefulis:

1. In a wire stretcher, the combination with a supporting frame adaptedto be rigidly connected to a stationary member, of a second frameprovided with slotted bearings for a feed wheel swivelly mounted on thefirst frame, of a feed wheel rotatably mounted in the second frame, asecond feed wheel mounted to slide in bearings of said second frame andbeing intermittently rotatable,gear connections between the two feedwheels, and meansfor imparting intermit tent motion to the second feedwheel, whereby a wire or the like may be fed over the the first frame,of a feed wheel rotatably mounted in the second frame, a second feedwheel mounted to slidein bearings of said second frame and beingintermittently rotatable, gearconnections between the two feed wheels,means for imparting intermittent motion to the second feed wheel,whereby a wire or the like may be fed over the second feed wheel andbetween the two feed wheels, and a detent or holding means for thesecond feed wheel.

3. In a wire stretcher, the combination with a supporting frame adaptedto be rigidly connected to a stationary member, of a second frameprovided with slotted bearings for a feed wheel swivelly mounted on thefirst frame, of a feed wheel otatably mounted in the second frame, asecond feed wheel mounted to slide in bearings of said second frame andbeing intermittently rotatable, gear connections between the two feedwheels, means for imparting intermittent motion to the second feedwheel, whereby a wire or the like may be fed over the second feed wheeland between the two feed wheels, and a detent or holding means for thesecond feed wheel, and means for actuating the detent or holding meansto release the second feed wheel.

4. In a wire stretcher, the combination with a supporting frame rigidlymounted upon a stationary member, of a second frame connected to thefirst frame, a feed wheel rotatably mounted in the second frame, asecond feed wheel mounted in the second frame and being intermittentlyrotatable, gear connections between the two feed wheels, said feedwheels having wire receiving means, whereby a wire is adapted to passover the second feed wheel and then upwardly between both feed wheelsand over the first feed wheel, and means for imparting intermittentrotatable movements to the second feed wheel, for stretching the wire,and holding means for the second feed wheel.

5. In a wire stretcher, the combination with a supporting frame rigidlyconnected to a stationary member, of a U-shaped frame swivelly mountedon the first frame, a feed wheel rotatably mounted between the sides ofthe U-shaped frame, a second feed wheel mounted in the second frame andbeing intermittently rotatable gear connections between both wheels,sald'wheels having wire receiving means, whereby wire to be stretched isadapted to pass over the second feed Wheel, under. and upwardly betweenboth feed wheels and over the first feed wheel, means for imparting anintermittent motion to the second feed wheel, and manually releasedholding means for preventing retrograde movement of the second feedwheel. 7 7' 6. In a wire stretcher, the combination with a supportingframe rigidly mounted upon a stationary member, of a U-shaped frameswivelly mounted upon the supporting frame, a feed Wheel rotatablymounted in the U-shaped frame, a second feed wheel disposed between thesides of the U-shaped frame and having gear connections with the firstfeed wheel, means for imparting an intermittent motion to the secondfeed wheel, means for mounting the second feed wheel slidably in thesides of the U-shaped frame, said feed wheels having wire receivingmeans, whereby the wire is adapted to pass over the second feed wheeland under and upwardly between both wheels, and manually released detentmeans to prevent retrograde movement of the second feed wheel.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature.

ANDREV FAIST.

